Orchid (thing)

A dangerous, if curious, weapon that seems to follow folks around in
Dhalgren. It is a collection of blades fixed to a bracelet-like device
used to attach the weapon to the hand. When worn, the blades encase the hand
entirely. However, their curvature prevents the blades from injuring the
wearer's hand. By alternately expanding and contracting the hand, the
blades can be opened and closed.

The orchid is a weapon unique to the strange world of Dhalgren. It is
mostly passive, though one could easily suppose that its very presence (its
necessity?) changes the characters and events around it. For the most part
it is not used like a weapon within the story.